Slug eliminator



Nov. 4, 1952 c. c. GOODMAN SLUG EL. IMINATOR 2 Sl-lEETS-SI-IEET 1 Filed 001;. 28, 1946 Inventor C(yae C 'ooamm.

Nov. 4, 1952 Filed Oct. 28, 1946 C. C. GOODMAN SLUG ELIMINATOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Jig/.4

Inventor CZz a'e C; Goodman Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,616,544 stud ELIMINATOR Clyde 0. Goodman, Philadelphia, Pa. Application October 28, 1946, Serial name dimes and quarters to operate thesame, an object of the invention being to provide a novel slug eliminator whereby the resistance characteristics of coins, will permit them to be passed into the vending or other machine for operating the same, whereas a slug or spurious coin will be dropped out of the coin track before it reaches the machine or mechanism for operating the same; thus resulting in a considerable savings to the owners of suchmachines by preventing the operation thereof by slugs or spurious coins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby current from a house wiring line will be passed through an electro-magnet after passing through a rheostat or resistance coil, to step down the electric current to the minimum voltage required to operate the electro-rnagnet, sothat when a coin of standard character is deposited into the coin slot of the machine and forced into the coin track by a handle or plunger, a circuit will be closed to the electro-magnet or coil thereof, to attract the armature of the magnet and close a spurious coin discharge'slot or opening at the bottom of the coin track,' to permit the cointo pass into the machine for causin the operation thereof, whereas when a slug or spurious coin passes into the coin track, the resistance'caused by the slug will drop the voltage below the minimum required to operate the electro-magnet to leave the spurious coin discharge slot or opening of the coin track open to permit the slug to drop out before it gets to the operating mechanism of the machine, thereby preventing the operation of the machine by slugs or spurious coins.

These, together with the various ancillary objects of the invention which; will become apparent as the following description proceeds, a preferred embodiment of which has beenillustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way oi example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention, parts thereof being shown'in section, and illustrated in operative relation to a coin slot and means for feeding a coin from the coin'slot into the slug eliminator;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 1 but looking at the opposite side of the 3 -3 in Figure Land showing the'slug'eliininator 2 g v in a position with the electro-magnet deactivated; Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing the slug eliminator 'with the electromagnet energized and the armature actuated to close the spurious coin or slug slot; Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line s-5 in Figure '1 and being inan enlargedscale to show certain parts thereof in greater detail;

Figure 6 is a'ver't'i'cal sectional view as taken along line 6- 6 in Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuits used in the present invention.

Referrin to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the slug eliminator is shown as comprising a pair of spaced parallel vertical plates 01- sheets l0 and H of suitable electrical insulating "material, such as Bakelite arranged in inclined positions of about 'a forty-five degree angle and made in the form of oblique parallelograrns in which the plate I0 extends considerably below the plate ll so that the lower extended'part of the plate l0 may be attached to the entrance portion of a vending machine or coin operated machine of any suitable character. The plates are provided with inclined top and bottom edges and vertical front and rear edges asshown and the upper end is connected to a coin receivin'gtrack l2 extending vertically and communicating with the space between said plates and provided with a coin deposit slot 13 at the top and a plunger 14 movable therein through its front wall, at the shank l5, to be pushed in at the button or handle 16 for the purpose of feeding or pushing the coins into the coin track provided between the plates to continue on their wayby gravity down the inclined coinslot or track. This construction for feeding the coins may be of any conventional or standard character within the purview of the invention. The insulation plates I0 and H are held in fixed. spaced parallel relation to form the coin track by opposed spaced upper and lower 'parallel inclined coin track sections l1 and l8 'of U- shaped cross-section with their open sides or edges towards each other and their closed edges or bight portions rounded or arcuate as shown. The sections are spaced apart to electrically separate the tracks I! and l8,'which are made of copper or other good electrical conducting metal whereby a gap is provided between them, to form down the"sam'e "by "gravity without obstruction.

The opposite sides or wings of the U-shaped track sections I1 and iii are suitably anchored to the plates Ill and I I by rivets or the like 20 to hold them in fixed relation while forming spacing means between the plates of the proper width oi slot open at both ends for receiving the coin from the vertical coin track l2 when deposited in the slot I3 at its entrance end disposed uppermost, and to discharge the coin at the lower outlet or exit end into the machine to be operated thereby.

In the bottom closed or bight portion of the lower coin track section l8, an upwardly convexed sprin strip 2! is mounted so as to be humped upwardly at the center and inclined at the ends, with the lower end bent downwardly as at 22 in curved hook-like formation through a slot or recess 23 provided in the bottom edge of plate H and bottom or bight portion of the track section it below the spring 2! of sufiicient size to permit the discharge of slugs or spurious coins therethrough.

Mounted on the outside of the insulation plate I0 by which the device is supported or mounted on the machine, is an angular bracket 24 fastened to the plate H] by screws 25 or otherwise and having a portion 26 extending upwardly at its free end to support an electromagnet 21 having a magnetic pole or core 28. An insulation sheet BI is provided between the coil 21 and the upstanding portion 26. The track sections i'i and it are provided with conductor terminals or binding posts 32 and 33 to effect electrical connections therewith. Pivotally supported on the bracket 24 is an armature plate 34, the same having a depending apertured lug 35, fulcrumcd through a slot 36 in the bracket 24. A spring 37 is secured at one end to the lug portion 35 of reduced section, while the opposite end is connected to an apertured ear 38 punched from the bracket 24 to normally swing the armature 34 inwardly away from the pole or core 28 of the electro-magnet when the latter is de-energized. This movement is limited by a stop arm 39 having an attaching plate portion 43 interposed between the bracket 24 and the plate It) and. secured by the screws 25 which attach the bracket 24. The stop arm 39 extends upwardly and outwardly in spaced relation to the plate It to engage the armature plate 34 and limit its movement in disengaged position.

The upper end of the armature plate as is bent inwardly as at M for the rigid attachment thereto of an insulation plate 42 also of Bakelite or other suitable non-conductive material, which extends over the coin track and plates I0 and II to a point in spaced relation to and beyond the outer face of the plate ii to support depending strips or legs 43 and 44 of metal, which are shown passed through spaced slots in the plate or arm 42 which may be insulating material. The strips or legs 43, 44 are held in such a manner that a limited movement in several directions is possible. In order to hold the legs 43 and 44 in this manner pins or stops 45, 45 are provided at the ends of the legs 43, 44 which are located above and below the slots in the plate 12. The legs 43 and 44 are thus carried by the plate 42 but whatever the position of the armature and of the plate 42, they may always occupy a substantially vertical position. The lower ends of the legs 43 and 44 carry a block 41 of insulating material in which a pair of tubular pins 48 are secured. The pins 48 are arranged in a direction transverse with respect to the U-shaped coin track and with respect to the slot 23 in the bottom member of said coin track and they are so spaced that they support the coin when moving through the channel formed by the coin tracks and over the slot 23 when the electro-magnet 21 is energized. The pins are however normally removed from the slot 23 as shown in Figure 3 and therefore spurious coins may drop through the slot 23 when the electro-magnet is de-energized.

A tripping device is arranged at the end of the coin track which is suspended by means of a movable link 5! on the member or plate 42. Said tripping device comprises a bent arm, one portion 52 of which extends in a longitudinal direction with respect to the coin track and beyond the end thereof and at this place is bent downwardly, the said downwardly reaching portion being located outside of but in front of the channel formed by the coin track members or sections I'I, I8 when the electro-magnet 2?, is energized, and the armature 34 with the plate 42 has consequently been attracted. This downwardly reaching portion is however moved laterally and away irom the channel when the magnet is de-energized and the armature falls back.

The other section of the tripping device comprises a bent arm 49 which is pivoted to the leg 4. The link iii supporting the tripping device is located between these two portions of the tripping device.

The downwardly depending portion of the arm section 52 is therefore located in the path of a coin traveling down the coin track and when hit by the coin the device moves toward one side entraining the parts with which it is connected by means of the link and the pivot 50.

As shown in Figure 7 of the drawings, the current is supplied from the source of electrical energy, such as the house wiring with a suitable plug-in connection as common in the art, the source of current being indicated by reference numeral 53 for impressing an alternating current on an adjustable or variable resistance comprising a resistance coil or rheostat, and a coin bridges the sections I1 and I8 to complete an operative electrical circuit.

In the operation of the device, with the parts in the positions shown in Figure 3, the A. C. current from the house wiring or source 53 passing through the resistance coil or rheostat, is reduced or stepped down to the minimum voltage required to operate the electro-magnet; 21 when a nickel or other standard coin is discharged into the entrance coin slot I3 and. track I2 and. then pushed by the plunger I4 by a handle, knob or button It, into the coin track between the spaced sections I'I and I8 thereof to electrically connect said sections and close the circuit therethrough, facilitated by contact with the uppressed or arched spring 2I in the bottom section 1.3 to insure positive contact in order to determine the electrical resistance qualities or characteristics of the coin and eliminate the use of slugs or spurious coins. Thus, when the proper coin, either a nickel, dime or quarter, depending upon the amount required to operate the vending machine, moves down the inclined track and connects the sections I7 and I8 electrically, the circuit is closed at the required or minimum voltage to energize the magnet and attract the armature 34 thereto. This swings the connected posts 01' pins 48 supported by the legs 43 and 44 from the plate 42 attached to the top of the armature, inwardly and upwardly, to span or close the slot 23 as shown in Figure 4 and permit the coin to pass down the track for discharge at the lower end thereof into the machine to be operated. When the coin leaves the channel formed by the two track sections l1, l8, the energizing circuit of the electro-magnet 21 is opened. Simultaneously upon leaving the channel the coin strikes the extension of the arm 52 depending in front of the channel which during the energization of the magnet was held in this place. When hit the arm 52 can only move the device toward one side and when so moved the device produces an impulse which together with the downward pull of the members 43, 44, 41, 48 and with the tension of spring 31 tends to return the armature and all the parts attracted to it into its normal position. The impulse is produced to counteract any frictional resistance and any remanent magnetism in the electro-magnet core or in the armature which might tend to prevent a return of the armature. It will thus be seen that when a slug or spurious coin is inserted into the coin slot and rolls down the track, the resistance offered thereby which is invariably larger than the resistance of the coin, will cause a drop of the voltage below the minimum voltage required to operate the electro-magnet, and the slug or spurious coin will drop through the slot 23 without passing to the coin operated mechanism. However, upon energization of the electromagnet by the insertion of a proper coin, the attraction and raising of the armature 34, will cause the tripper to return to its position at the lower or discharge end of the coin track for movement to release position by the coin to open the coin slot after the proper coin has passed the tripper to the coin operated machine, so that the slot 23 will always be open to permit a slug or spurious coin to drop out before it gets to the coin operated machine. In this way, the device will always be in position for operation to close the slot 23 at the bottom of the coin track by the insertion of a proper coin to pass over the closed slot 23 for discharge at the lower end of the coin track for operation of the coin operated machine or mechanism.

Thus, it will be seen that with a device of the character described, the use of slugs or spurious coins for passage thereof to a coin operated mechanism for various purposes, such as candy vending machines, telephone coin pay stations, juke boxes, turn stiles, and the like, will be prevented, thus saving considerable loss to the owners or operators thereof. The device is very simple in construction and can be readily attached to any coin operated mechanism in a simple manner and will efiectively serve its purpose.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A slug eliminator for coin operated machines comprising a coin chute, an inclined coin testing channel, aligned with one end of said coin chute and extending between said chute and the coin operated machine, means for pushing the coin from the bottom of the chute into the inclined coin testing channel, said channel consisting of a top and a bottom guide member,

insulated from each other and arranged substantially in a vertical plane above each other, each member being provided with substantially vertical side walls and being so shaped as to surround a portion of the coin while holding the latter in a substantially vertical position, and the two members being so spaced that the coin is in electric contact with both members while traveling downwardly along the coin testing channel by gravity, the bottom guide member being provided with a slot larger and wider than the coin to be tested, transverse coin supporting pins arranged at a distance smaller than the coin size normally removed from said slot, an electromagnet near said slot arranged on one side of the coin testing channel, a suspension member carrying said pins, arranged on the other side of said coin testing channel, an armature for said electro-magnet projecting upwardly and provided with a projecting plate, crossing the channel above the top guide member, a suspension member mounting an arm on said plate, a connection for limited movement in more than one direction between the suspension means and said arm, the said suspension member thus being held in a substantially vertical position irrespective of the movement of the armature, with the pins projecting at substantially right angles in a substantially horizontal direction, said armature being moved by the electro-magnet from an inclined position into a substantially Vertical position, thereby moving the pins from their normal position into a position in which they form a transverse substantially horizontal support for the coin below the slot, an energizing circuit for the electro-magnet, and circuit limiting means in the energizing circuit of the electro-magnet for reducing the energizing current to a value producing energization of the electro-magnet only with a predetermined coin, but excluding operation with a coin of higher resistance, a tripping device for the armature and suspension member producing a returning impulse, said trippin device being linked to and suspended on the projecting arm of the armature and including a member with a depending extension located in front of the delivery end of the channel in the position of energization of the armature of the electro-magnet and further including an arm pivoted to the suspension member, the coin, when leaving the channel, thus de-energizing the electro-magnet, also hitting the extension of the tripping device and producing an impulse returning the armature and the members attached to it to their normal position.

CLYDE C. GOODMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 452,068 Ashwell May 12, 1891 589,726 Hofiman Sept. 7, 1897 658,739 Kraemer Sept. 25, 1900 1,200,059 Weeks et al. Oct. 3, 1916 1,795,287 Bottome Mar. 10, 1931 1,890,381 Hoban Dec. 6, 1932 1,921,669 Gray Aug. 8, 1933 

